Summer Rain
by msmarycrawley
Summary: My contribution to the Be My (Cobert) Valentine Exchange. Five months after the birth of their first child, Cora and Robert go on a trip that they will never forget. Warning: extreme fluffiness and cheese ahead. Proceed to read with caution.


It was certainly an adventure getting there. They almost missed the train and then their carriage near broke down in the middle of the road, which wasn't desirable. Cora thought he was always exaggerating things, but it was true! Despite the casualties, the magnificence of the hotel when they finally arrived was worth it. Cora had just given birth to their daughter, Mary, five months prior and Robert was mad with worry about her traveling so soon. Not to mention that it was sweltering hot, uncomfortably so. But his wife reassured him that everything would be fine, as she always does. Robert had to admit he was rather eager to reenter the social scene after such a long absence. Both of them were. They were to stay at a new hotel just east of Downton as guests of the Flintshires, who were there on vacation and Susan had written a letter that stated they simply_ must_ accompany them. Cora was keen to stay the full four days but Robert was insistent that they stay only two, as not to leave their daughter with Nanny for too long.

They had only just arrived at the hotel when it was time for a meal. "May I come in?" Robert stood at the door to Cora's room, dressed for dinner and waiting for her to accompany him downstairs in the dining hall. "There's no need," Cora said from inside and he could hear her coming towards the door so he stepped aside and let her through. Robert widened his eyes in amazement at the sight of her. She donned a bright white dress that looked like it was barely there. The sleeves of it were hanging loose and carefree and he could see her pale skin underneath a thin silk covering. He noticed she was wearing smaller, gray gloves with small silver pendants by the elbow. The hem to the mid section of her dress was covered in little flecks of gems that sparked as she turned to give Robert the full effect. "Well? What do you think?" Robert, still slightly stunned, held both of her hands up to his lips and kissed them. He gazed into his wife's eyes in awe. _His_ wife. "You look ravishing, my darling. Absolutely perfect," he murmured, caressing her soft cheek. He could feel Cora start to heat up from his words as she stepped closer to her husband. She smiled sweetly. "Thank you, dear."

Robert let his fingers run under the beautiful diamond necklace that hanged delicately from her neck, which was one of the many wedding gifts she had received upon their union. Although he knew they were in public, he let his eyes wander a little lower to her chest. Whatever material the dress was made of, it was slightly see-through which pleased him. Once she saw where her husband was looking, Cora chuckled and stood up straighter, puffing her chest out to tease him. Blushing, Robert held her hands down by her sides and shook his head slowly, both embarrassed and aroused at the same time. Suddenly Cora leaned in and whispered in Robert's ear, "We must remember our place…" "You're not helping," Robert whined. Amused, Cora smoothed his hair back and gave him a quick peck on the cheek before turning to walk the hallway and down the main staircase to the dining hall, where the Flintshires and other acquaintances of the family were waiting.

Dinner was pleasant, but uneventful. Of course everyone was thrilled for the couple on the birth of their first child. Cora was beaming throughout all the courses, and Robert felt such pride in his growing family. But it was really after dinner that made the trip worthwhile…"Are you awake?" Robert heard Cora whisper beside him in bed. She always asked that when she couldn't sleep. It was uncomfortably hot, so much so that the two of them barely had any covers on at all, and if you moved you started to perspire. They weren't sweating in the way he'd like to be on these kinds of trips, but it was really so tiring, all this heat. _But does one really expect anything less from an English summer- especially in late August? _"I am," he sighed. "I can't sleep." Robert felt Cora shift in bed so she was nearer to him. "Me neither." The earl sat up, flipped his pillow over to the cool side and brushed a stray hair from his wife's forehead. Now that he was fully awake, his mind started to wander. "Do you recall earlier on in dinner, when Susan mentioned a terrace that we must see tomorrow near the west end of the hotel? The one she said showed a beautiful view of the land?" Cora stroked his arm while he talked. She knew what Robert was referring to, but was slightly puzzled by its apparent relevance to him this late at night. "Yes?" He leaned over to face Cora directly. "Lets go see it now."

Cora wasn't keen on the idea at first, sneaking around in a hotel they barely knew at such a late hour and Robert admitted that it wasn't probable. What if they got caught? But eventually the couple knew that since they were not going to sleep anytime soon, they might as well do _something _to keep them busy (that didn't require much physical exertion) or else die of boredom. So, off they went into the night. Robert took the lead despite the fact he knew next to nothing of the establishment's geography and Cora followed suit. After about an hour of quiet tiptoeing around rooms and down stairs, they eventually made their way to the cherished terrace, and the both of them had to admit it was every bit as marvelous as Susan had described. The scene before them looked as if it had jumped right from the pages of a novel. At the end of the corridor and past an unlocked door, the hotel opened up into another world. Everywhere around was countryside, trees and walkways and flowering gardens as far as the eye could see. Surrounding this "terrace" as Susan Flintshire says – although Cora and Robert both agreed it could be more accurately described as a balcony of some sort- was a fence brushed up against foliage of all kinds. Robert closed his eyes and spread his arms wide. The still warm but windy air was refreshing on the skin, cooling the sweat on both of their bodies. His mother should have loved it here. "Oh, Robert," Cora sighed after they had taken it in for a few moments. She turned to him. "I am so glad you thought of this." He chuckled and walked slowly around the enclosure with Cora on his arm. "Don't thank me. Thank Susan." Cora looked at him pleasantly. "Lets go over here," she said, taking Robert's hand and leading to the edge of the balcony by the fence. He stood behind her and wrapped his hands around her waist. Cora leaned into him and sighed. They stayed like that for a while, listening to the warm wind blow around them and the leaves rustle in the trees. "I love you so much." Cora murmured and stroked Robert's arm, using her fingers to lightly scratch at him tenderly. "And I you," he replied as he kissed her warm hair. "We should come back with Mary next time, when she is old enough," Cora said. But before Robert could reply there was a loud crackle in the sky and immediately afterward rain started pouring down in buckets all over the two of them. Robert cried out and instinctively started to run for cover but stopped when he saw Cora still standing there at the fence in the rain, arms outstretched. She looked back at her husband and laughed. "Whatever's the matter? A little rain never bothered anyone." Robert begrudgingly made his way back over to his highly amused wife. "Says the American." He knew he'd never hear the end of this. Though, he had to admit the longer he stayed out here the more pleasant it became. Especially with the best of company. Robert was directly behind his wife now, but she didn't notice him standing there. Grinning, he playfully jabbed her lightly in the sides, making her squeal and turn around. He held her in his arms as she tried to escape. "Come here, you." Suddenly she stopped and stepped back. "Alright," she said slowly. But no sooner had the words left her lips had she tried to fake him out and go around him. She'd have made it, too, but Robert was too quick. He grabbed her again and turned her around so she couldn't make a run for it again. Cora squealed with delight as he kissed her neck repeatedly. Robert could feel her breasts just above his arms and he slowly moved his hands up her front while continuing to kiss her neck and shoulders with Cora moaning in approval. Before they could get any further, another bout of thunder made them both cry out and jump away from each other. Cora laughed and stuck her head back up at the sky. "Should we go?" Robert now had to yell, since the wind speed increased and the leaves rustled louder. "Probably," Cora replied. But they didn't. Not for a long time.


End file.
